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Dunrobin
Castle Station History
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The railway from
Inverness to the far north opened in several stages. The first
to Dingwall opened in 1863.The next stage was to Tain,
eventually reaching Golspie in 1868. That was as far as the
railway got for the next two years. But then followed an event
unique in the history of railway construction in Britain.
Seeking to open up his estates- and being a strong believer in
the social value of railways- the third Duke of Sutherland
promoted his own railway from Dunrobin to Helmsdale to be built
at his own expense. He promoted his own Bill in Parliament which
received Royal Assent as The Duke of Sutherland’s Railway Act.
There is an original copy of the Act in the station museum.
The Duke of Sutherland’s
Railway was some 14 ˝ miles long and opened by Queen Victoria's
daughter, Pricess Helena on the 17th September
1870. The formal opening (perhaps when public services
commenced) was not until 1st November. Both ends of the line were temporary termini: In the north
a station was built at West Helmsdale, just short of the
village, and in the south the line terminated at Dunrobin just a
mile from the rest of the railway system at Golspie. Inspecting
the line on the eve of its opening the Board of
Trade inspector wrote “I found the permanent way in excellent
order and I am happy to be able to report my opinion that the
Board of trade may safely sanction the opening of this railway
for public traffic.”
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For the first seven
months of its life the railway was run as an entirely
independent concern, but on 16th May 1871 the Duke opened the
route from Inverness to Helmsdale. This was after the
Highland Railway completed the through route between
 Golspie and Dunrobin
and its engines and stock worked the whole line, with the Duke becoming a director of the Highland railway. The Duke’s own
engine and two carriages were then used for personal journeys to
Inverness with the carriages being attached there to southbound
trains for more southerly destinations. This right to run their
own train was retained by the Sutherland family until railway
nationalization in 1948. The late Countess of Sutherland (who
died in 2019, at the age of 98)
remembered hitching her personal sleeping car to the back of the
London sleeper at Inverness. The Far North line itself
eventually reached Wick and Thurso in 1874 by means of the
Caithness & Sutherland railway of which the Duke was the major
shareholder.
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At the time of the link
to the rest of the railway system at Golspie, Dunrobin station
closed to the public becoming a private station solely for the
use of the family. The original building (in a somewhat wild
west ranch style - see opposite) was replaced by the present fine Arts and
Crafts style building in 1902, during the time of the fourth
Duke. It was designed by the estate architect L. Bisset. The
Duke’s waiting room, which is finely panelled, is situated on
the right (as looked at from the platform edge). It is this room
which now contains the main part of the railway museum. To the
left was the waiting room for staff. As well as many railway
items this room also contains a display of domestic household
items. On the far left is a lower extension building which
originally housed the various signal levers to control the
access points to the engine shed and bay platform at the
station.
The original station
building - from an article in The Tatler, published Oct 1903 -
though this building had already been replaced at the time of
printing!
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 At
the front there’s a canopy which is supported by painted tree
trunks to give a deliberately rustic feel. Underneath can be
seen the initials of the fourth Duke and Duchess, G & M,. George
and Millicent.
In its years as a private station many distinguished visitors
arrived at the station, including The Prince of Wales- later
Edward VII- and the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.
 After
World War II the station was made available for public use
whilst being retained in private ownership. This state of
affairs existed until January 29th 1965 when the station was
formally closed as part of the Beeching rationalization plan for
Britain’s Railways.
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And closed it might have
remained, but from the 1980s onwards a cautious programme of
re-opening the station began. With its perfect situation just a
few minutes walk from the castle entrance Dunrobin station was
ideally placed for visitors, and on 30 June 1985 the present
Countess of Sutherland formally re-opened the station. Initially
the station opened for summer Sundays only. However it did not
enter the public railway timetable until 1994 when it was
renamed Dunrobin Castle. Trains called throughout the week
during a limited summer period from May to September. From 2011
passengers have been able to use the station during the same
dates as the castle’s opening- April 1st-15th October.
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By the middle 90s the
station building was in need of some considerable attention,
particularly after a visit by vandals. The present leaseholder
undertook the necessary work and the building has been brought
back to its former glory.
In 2012 a further piece of restoration was completed when the
long derelict cloakroom at the back of the building was restored
to use.
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Dunrobin Castle Station as it is today
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Dunrobin
Castle station is unique in railway history. It has been within
one family’s ownership for its entire existence. Although there
were a few other private stations, none were quite so fine and
they all had the misfortune to be on lines which closed in the
1960s. Now it has become a tourist attraction in its own right
with its exhibits of railway
 miscellanea. These are displayed so
that they can mostly be seen through the windows. However the
station can be opened for visits by groups (please email if you are interested) In addition the station opens for a few days a
year (notices are displayed at the castle) and also when charter
trains are calling with visitors touring the castle.
If you are coming to Dunrobin do spare time to look at the
station. As a private station platform tickets are issued under
the authority of the Sutherland Estate and these together with
miniature station name plates and keyrings can be obtained from the castle
gift shop.
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